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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. face — to confront
  3. spring — a coil
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. firm — steady
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. degree — from a university
  8. drill — a practice
  9. firm — a company
  10. degree — an amount
  11. firm — decided
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. drill — army training
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. spring — of water
  17. face — to point toward
  18. toast — bread
  19. face — part of the head
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. spring — the season
  22. current — of water
  23. drill — the tool
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com